Kids Search is an online research tool designed for K-8 students. It allows students to search by topic or keyword. The home page features the most popular search terms and a spotlight topic. Students can save searches and articles to their personal folder. Key features include searching dictionaries, encyclopedias, images, and teacher resources. Advanced search options allow limiting results by source, date, format, and more. Students can organize research by saving search results and articles to their personal folder for future reference.

1. Kids Search: How-To
A Tutorial
Megan Stewart
Toby Thomas
Laurel Wilson

2. Kids Search Introduction
• Powered by EBSCOhost
• Designed for K-8 students
• Users can search by topic or keyword

4. Home Page
Featured Tabs
Search Types

5. Home Page
• Find:
– If you don’t want to be too specific in your
research, you can just type what you’re searching
for in the “Find” search bar.
– When you’ve finished typing your keyword, hit
“Go” to see your results.
– You can also hit “Clear” to search for something
different, or narrow your search returns.

6. Home Page
• Top Searches
– Displays a list of the five items
searched for the most
• Spotlight Topic
– The site chooses a relevant topic and
features a short research article.

7. Home Page
When you’ve found
articles and Self-explanatory… 
information you want Find Kids Search
to keep, you can save tutorials and answers
them to your folder. to other questions
you might have.
People can create an This tab allows you to change your
account and save their search display option preferences,
search information. such as how many results show on
each page and what the format of
the information that comes up.

8. Home Page
• If at any time you want to return to the Home
Page, you can either click on the “Home” tab
or the Kids Search banner at the top left-hand
corner of the screen.

9. Dictionary
Here is where
you type in the
word you want
to find the
definition of.
There’s a Vocabulary
Challenge game you can
play with your friends.
If you don’t know exactly what word
you want to search for, or if you’re just
curious, scan through the list of
alphabetical words.

10. Dictionary Example
Type your word, such as “rain
forest,” into the search field.
After you hit the
“Dictionary” button,
this screen appears
telling you the
definition and part of
speech of the word,
word forms, and the
source of the definition.

11. Encyclopedia
Here is where you
type in the word
you want to find
information
about.
The site even provides a
brief explanation about the
encyclopedia database.

12. Encyclopedia Example
Type your word, such as “rain
forest,” into the search field.
After you hit “Go,”
the various search
results will pop up
allowing you to look
through the ones
you think are
relevant to your
research.

13. Encyclopedia Example Cont.
You have
some options
when click
This is on an article
where it if you like it.
takes you You can
when print, e-mail,
you click save it to
on an your
article computer or
from the add it to your
previous folder if you
search have created
results an account.
page.

14. Images

15. Limiting Your Results
Image Type
1. Photos of People
2. Natural Science Photos
3. Photos of Places
4. Historical Photos
5. Maps
6. Flags
Simply click the box if the
category applies

16. Limiting Your Results
Apply Related Words
&
Automatically “And”
Search Terms
Once again you simply check
the box if it applies

17. Beginning Your Search
1. Chose your topic
“Rainforest Animals”
2. Click “Go”

18. The Results
1. You may now filter your
results by either clicking
“All Results” or
“Photos”
2. Then you have the
option to save “Add search
to folder” by clicking on the
link and it automatically
adds it to your folder

19. Final Steps
From here you have the
option to “sort” your
results by either
“Relevance” or “Title”
Then choose the result
you would like to look
closer at

20. Teacher Resources

21. Limit Your Results
You may choose the given
options which include:
1. Full Text
2. Peer Reviewed
3. Journal Name
4. Date Published From

22. Special limiters for Academic Search Premier
From here you have the option to
specify your results for the
Academic Search Premier
database
You may limit your results by the
following:
1. References Available
2. Publication Type
3. Document Type
4. Language
5. Number of Pages
6. Cover Story
7. PDF Full Text

23. Special limiters for ERIC
Here you will limit your
results for the ERIC database
Your options include:
1. Available on Microfiche
2. ERIC Number
3. Journal or Document
4. Educational Level
5. Publication Type
6. Intended Audience
7. Language

24. Special limiters for Professional
Development Collection
Next you will find the option
to limit your results for the
Professional Development
Collection database
Below are the options for
doing so:
1. Publication Type
2. Document Type
3. Number of Pages
4. Cover Story
5. PDF Full Text

25. Special limiters for Teacher Reference
Center
Your next option will be to limit
your results for the Teacher
Reference Center database and to
“Expand your search to”
Your options for this are:
1. Number of Pages
2. PDF Full Text
3. Apply Related Words
4. Also Search Within the Full
Text of the Articles
5. Automatically “And” Search
Terms

26. Conducting Your Search
Here are the steps:
1. Type your search
word(s) in
2. Decide if you want to
include “And”, “Not”
or “Or”
3. Select a Field in
needed
4. Choose your database

27. Saving to a Folder

28. Once you have searched
and chosen an article you
will have the option to
save it to a folder
All you need to do is click
on the link that says “Add
to Folder” and it then
becomes stored in your
folder

29. Accessing Your Folder
To access your folder from
the homepage or at any
time for that matter you
simply click on the
“Folder” link at the top
right of the page and you
are taken to your folder

30. Once you are in your folder
you are able to see
everything you have saved
and each will be put into its
appropriate category which
are:
1. Images
2. Videos
3. Companies
4. Persistent Links to
Searches
5. Web Pages